Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.

<h4>Unlabelled</h4>Ephedrine/caffeine combination (EC) has been shown to induce a small-to-moderate weight loss in obese patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed, among which an increased thermogenic capacity of skeletal muscle consequent to the EC-induced up-regulation of uncoupl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Renata Bracale, Maria Letizia Petroni, Sergio Davinelli, Umberto Bracale, Giovanni Scapagnini, Michele O Carruba, Enzo Nisoli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0098244&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850281329703256064
author Renata Bracale
Maria Letizia Petroni
Sergio Davinelli
Umberto Bracale
Giovanni Scapagnini
Michele O Carruba
Enzo Nisoli
author_facet Renata Bracale
Maria Letizia Petroni
Sergio Davinelli
Umberto Bracale
Giovanni Scapagnini
Michele O Carruba
Enzo Nisoli
author_sort Renata Bracale
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Unlabelled</h4>Ephedrine/caffeine combination (EC) has been shown to induce a small-to-moderate weight loss in obese patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed, among which an increased thermogenic capacity of skeletal muscle consequent to the EC-induced up-regulation of uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) gene expression. We did a parallel group double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-week trial to investigate this hypothesis. Thirteen morbidly obese women (25-52 years of age, body-mass index 48.0±4.0 kg/m2, range 41.1-57.6) were randomly assigned to EC (200/20 mg, n = 6) or to placebo (n = 7) administered three times a day orally, before undergoing bariatric surgery. All individuals had an energy-deficit diet equal to about 70% of resting metabolic rate (RMR) diet (mean 5769±1105 kJ/day). The RMR analysed by intention to treat and the UCP3 (long and short isoform) mRNA levels in rectus abdominis were the primary outcomes. Body weight, plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, triglycerides, free fatty acids, glycerol, TSH, fT4, and fT3 were assessed, as well as fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA index, at baseline and at the end of treatments. Body weight loss was evident in both groups when compared to baseline values (overall -5.2±3.2%, p<0.0001) without significant differences between the treated groups. EC treatment increased the RMR (+9.2±6.8%, p = 0.020), differently from placebo which was linked to a reduction of RMR (-7.6±6.5%, p = 0.029). No significant differences were seen in other metabolic parameters. Notably, no changes of either UCP3 short or UCP3 long isoform mRNA levels were evident between EC and placebo group. Our study provides evidence that 4-week EC administration resulted in a pronounced thermogenic effect not related to muscle UCP3 gene expression and weight loss in morbidly obese females under controlled conditions.<h4>Trial registration</h4>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02048215.
format Article
id doaj-art-93d29b15e1da43d899badd39a0ea978d
institution OA Journals
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2014-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-93d29b15e1da43d899badd39a0ea978d2025-08-20T01:48:21ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0196e9824410.1371/journal.pone.0098244Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.Renata BracaleMaria Letizia PetroniSergio DavinelliUmberto BracaleGiovanni ScapagniniMichele O CarrubaEnzo Nisoli<h4>Unlabelled</h4>Ephedrine/caffeine combination (EC) has been shown to induce a small-to-moderate weight loss in obese patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed, among which an increased thermogenic capacity of skeletal muscle consequent to the EC-induced up-regulation of uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) gene expression. We did a parallel group double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-week trial to investigate this hypothesis. Thirteen morbidly obese women (25-52 years of age, body-mass index 48.0±4.0 kg/m2, range 41.1-57.6) were randomly assigned to EC (200/20 mg, n = 6) or to placebo (n = 7) administered three times a day orally, before undergoing bariatric surgery. All individuals had an energy-deficit diet equal to about 70% of resting metabolic rate (RMR) diet (mean 5769±1105 kJ/day). The RMR analysed by intention to treat and the UCP3 (long and short isoform) mRNA levels in rectus abdominis were the primary outcomes. Body weight, plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, triglycerides, free fatty acids, glycerol, TSH, fT4, and fT3 were assessed, as well as fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA index, at baseline and at the end of treatments. Body weight loss was evident in both groups when compared to baseline values (overall -5.2±3.2%, p<0.0001) without significant differences between the treated groups. EC treatment increased the RMR (+9.2±6.8%, p = 0.020), differently from placebo which was linked to a reduction of RMR (-7.6±6.5%, p = 0.029). No significant differences were seen in other metabolic parameters. Notably, no changes of either UCP3 short or UCP3 long isoform mRNA levels were evident between EC and placebo group. Our study provides evidence that 4-week EC administration resulted in a pronounced thermogenic effect not related to muscle UCP3 gene expression and weight loss in morbidly obese females under controlled conditions.<h4>Trial registration</h4>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02048215.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0098244&type=printable
spellingShingle Renata Bracale
Maria Letizia Petroni
Sergio Davinelli
Umberto Bracale
Giovanni Scapagnini
Michele O Carruba
Enzo Nisoli
Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.
PLoS ONE
title Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.
title_full Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.
title_fullStr Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.
title_full_unstemmed Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.
title_short Muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine/caffeine treatment: results of a double blind, randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females.
title_sort muscle uncoupling protein 3 expression is unchanged by chronic ephedrine caffeine treatment results of a double blind randomised clinical trial in morbidly obese females
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0098244&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT renatabracale muscleuncouplingprotein3expressionisunchangedbychronicephedrinecaffeinetreatmentresultsofadoubleblindrandomisedclinicaltrialinmorbidlyobesefemales
AT marialetiziapetroni muscleuncouplingprotein3expressionisunchangedbychronicephedrinecaffeinetreatmentresultsofadoubleblindrandomisedclinicaltrialinmorbidlyobesefemales
AT sergiodavinelli muscleuncouplingprotein3expressionisunchangedbychronicephedrinecaffeinetreatmentresultsofadoubleblindrandomisedclinicaltrialinmorbidlyobesefemales
AT umbertobracale muscleuncouplingprotein3expressionisunchangedbychronicephedrinecaffeinetreatmentresultsofadoubleblindrandomisedclinicaltrialinmorbidlyobesefemales
AT giovanniscapagnini muscleuncouplingprotein3expressionisunchangedbychronicephedrinecaffeinetreatmentresultsofadoubleblindrandomisedclinicaltrialinmorbidlyobesefemales
AT micheleocarruba muscleuncouplingprotein3expressionisunchangedbychronicephedrinecaffeinetreatmentresultsofadoubleblindrandomisedclinicaltrialinmorbidlyobesefemales
AT enzonisoli muscleuncouplingprotein3expressionisunchangedbychronicephedrinecaffeinetreatmentresultsofadoubleblindrandomisedclinicaltrialinmorbidlyobesefemales